Abstract
There is a growing appreciation that the complications of obesity extend to the central nervous system (CNS) and include increased risk for development of neuropsychiatric co-morbidities such as depressive illness. The neurological consequences of obesity may develop as a continuum and involve a progression of pathological features which is initiated by leptin resistance. Leptin resistance is a hallmark feature of obesity, but it is unknown whether leptin resistance or blockage of leptin action is casually linked to the neurological changes which underlie depressive-like phenotypes. Accordingly, the aim of the current study was to examine whether chronic administration of a pegylated leptin receptor antagonist (Peg-LRA) elicits depressive-like behaviors in adult male rats. Peg-LRA administration resulted in endocrine and metabolic features that are characteristic of an obesity phenotype. Peg-LRA rats also exhibited increased immobility in the forced swim test, depressive-like behaviors that were accompanied by indices of peripheral inflammation. These results demonstrate that leptin resistance elicits an obesity phenotype that is characterized by peripheral immune changes and depressive-like behaviors in rats, supporting the concept that co-morbid obesity and depressive illness develop as a continuum resulting from changes in the peripheral endocrine and metabolic milieu.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 151-160 |
Number of pages | 10 |
Journal | Brain, Behavior, and Immunity |
Volume | 60 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 1 Feb 2017 |
Bibliographical note
Publisher Copyright:© 2016
Keywords
- Activated T cells
- Adiposity
- C-reactive protein
- Forced swim test
- Inflammation
- Obesity
- Pegylated leptin receptor antagonist
- Spleen
- Triglycerides